Record envelope



' Aug. '30; 1949. E; E, MQDES 480,415

RECORD ENvELoPE Filed NOV. 26, 1945 Patented Aug. 3o, V1949 UNITED STATES eTENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an envelope for receiving a phonograph record and the like, and more particularly to such envelope having means for facilitating the quick and easy introduction of the record into the envelope.

Record envelopes as heretofore made have been so constructed as to render it difficult to introduce a phonograph record or the like thereinto, and requiring the use of both hands for opening up the sides of the open end of the envelope. This has been a diicult operation as one hand of the operator must at the same time hold the record and push it toward the interior of the envelope. This has been rendered no easier by laying the envelope on a table top or the like and then spreading the sides of the open end apart for insertion of the record, as this operation is .likewise attended by confusion and diiTiculty. To state it another way; the operator does not have enough hands to conveniently insert a record into its envelope by the old method. By the present invention I have completely eliminated these diiculties and have rendered it simple and easy to introduce the record into the envelope.

Among the objects of my invention are: to provide a new and improved record envelope; to so construct the side walls of the open end of a record envelope that the envelope may be held in one hand and the record in the other hand and by turning the record through a slight angle it may be easily pushed into the envelope; to provide a record envelope in which the side walls of the open end` are so cut out as to exp-ose the inner face of one side wall on one side of the center line and to expose the inner face of the other side wall on the other side of the center line; to provide a short recess in the side walls of the open end of the envelope with a portion of one side wall cut out on one side of the recess and a portion of the other side wall rcut out on the other side of the recess; and to cut out portions of the side walls at the open end of the envelope in non-registering positions but having only a portion of such cut-outs coinciding.

Other objectsv and advantages will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. lis a side velevation partly broken away looking toward one side face of the envelope.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical side elevation showing the rst step in starting the introduction of a record into the envelope.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the record as rotated into the plane of the envelope to spread the sides of the envelope slightly apart.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 but showing the envelope as having been inserted partway into the envelope.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modied form of my invention.

While my invention resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the drawings, I have shown therein for illustrative purposes only, a preferred embodiment, and wish it understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In the form shown in the drawings, and referring to Figs. 1-4 as showing the preferred form, my improved envelope comprises the side faces I and 2 secured together in any suitable manner at the side edges 3 and 4 and the bottom edge 5. One form of fastening these side faces together is by bending these faces together along the edge 4 so that the upper edge as viewed in Fig. l extends somewhat beyond the adjacent edge of side face 2 and then bending the extending portion 6 downwardlyover the rear side of face 2 and then gluing or otherwise securing the same thereagainst. The face I also has an eX- tending edge which after the part 6 is secured to the back of face 2 is then bent over and likewise secured to the back side of face 2 as indicated at 'I in Fig. 1 to form a bottom for the envelope. The edges of the front and rear faces I and 2 at the right hand side of the envelope as shown in Fig. 1 are unattached from envelope edge 3 to edge 4 and constitute what I will refer to as the open edges of the open end of the envelope.

The open edge portion of the front side I of the envelope is cut out from its normal full length edge 8 along the lines 9, I0, Il, I2 and |'3 to form a recess in said face with the longitudinally extending edge I0 of the front face I being positioned a slight distance below the longitudinal center line I4 as viewed in Fig. 1 and then extending along the lines II, I2 and I3 above the center line in the form of a curve or other inclination until it merges with the top edge of the open end of the envelope at I5n as shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

The open edge portion of the rear face 2 is cut with a similar recess starting with the top edge I6 and then continuing inwardly along the line I1 and then following along the lines I8, I9, 2i! and 2I and merging into the outer edge'at 22. The inwardly extending edge II is positioned a slight distance above the longitudinal center line I'4 as viewed in Fig. 1 so that when the envelope is viewed from one of the side faces these laterally spaced longitudinal edges I 0 and I 1 form a groove or recess 23 into which the edge of a phonograph record or the like 24 may be inserted as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The recess 9-I3 formed in the front wall I of the envelope is reversely positioned with relation to the recess I1-2I formed in the rear wall of the envelope.

From this construction it will be seen that when the record 24 occupies the position shown in Fig. 2 with its edge in the groove or recess 23 a twisting movement, of the record to bring it into the plane ofthe envelope` will causeone side of the record to passthrough the recess or cut-out Q l 3 until it contacts the exposed face 25 of the other Wall of the envelope. Likewise the opposite bottom side portion of the record will at the same time pass through the recess or cut-out portion l'i-ZI in the rear wall and contact the exposed face 26 of the front wall ofthe envelope. When the record is thus brought into a planeparallel with the plane of the envelope as seen in Fig. 3, the open edges of the envelope will be spread a slight distance apart andi the record may then be pushed into the envelope as shown in Fig. 4.

vIn Fig. 5. I have 'shown a ymodification of my invention in Whichthe main portion of the body ofthe envelopeis similarto that of Fig. 1, but in which the contour 'of the cut-out portions are circular, orv nearlycircular, instead of irregular as in Fig. 1. In 'the form shown in Fig. 5 the cut-'out portion in the front wall I of the envelope is indicated at the solid line 2l, 28, 29 and 30, 'and the cut-out portion in the back Wall is indicated by the dotted line 3| and 32 which merges into the'solid line 33 and 34. These cutoutsl are thus seen tol be identical but in reverse position; that 'is'. the cut-out in the front wall as viewed in Fig. 5 extends 'downwardly farther than the cut-out in the back Wall to provide laterally displaced tabs 35 and 36 in' the front and back walls respectively; These tabs or exposed portions '35. and 33:0f Fig; 5.' correspond in purpose and. action tothetabs or exposed portions 25 and 2S. of Fig. 1; These reversed insertion cutouts atV the top of the envelope (right hand. side asviewed in Fig. 5) enable the side of the record to be placed against' either one of the tabs 35 and SSdependirg up'on which face of the envelope is"`presented .tothe 'eye"of the observer. Also the record may be 4placed in position to have its opposite bott'om sideedges simultaneously contact theV inner' face'of both of tabs 35 and 3E and. enable the recordi to be twisted Vslightly to spread the sides ofthe envelope and allow the rec'ord to'be Ythen pushedV into the envelope.

In both of'the forms of my invention the envelope is formed in both its front and back faces with'a central op`ening31-for displaying the label on a record..

From the above it is seen that I have provided an envelope forrecords and thelike inwhich the envelope can be held by one hand of the operator and therecord in theother hand and easily insert the record by a simple twisting action of the same. This'eliminates the necessity of laying the envelope on a flat surface so as to have a free handfor spreading the open edges apart. This easy insertion ofthe record .into the envelope is' possible regardless of which face of the envelope is presented to the eye of the observer. The recess 23 of Figs. 1"to 4 vand the cut out portions 28, 29,and 32; 33 ofV Fig. 5 4provide finger openingswhichiexpos'e a part of the edge portion ofa record and facilitate withdrawing the record from the envelope'. This construction of envelope enables theeconomical manufacture of the envelope as ,thei reversed cut-outs in the front and back Walls may be easily made when the materialv of the envelope is lying flat by 'simply cutting the same to shape in a cutting die and then folding and securing the three edges of the envelope together.

While I have for illustrativepurposes described my inventionxas appliedto an envelopefor phonographcrds, I wish itun-de'istood that this envelope may also be used for receiving other at and more or less thin objects adapted for insertion therein in the manner described.

I` claim:

l. An'envelope adapted to receive a phonographic recordand the like, comprising, a iat container having front and back Walls closed along three edges and open along the fourth edge, the front wall having in its open edge an elongated.. cut-out. formed at its. inner end with a substantially straight edge substantially parallel with the'longitudinal center line of the envelope thatV extends at rightv angles 'to the open edge thereof, said straightedge being positioned lto one side of the center line, said cut-out extending from said straight edge across the center line along a curved line having a radius ofcurvature not less'than half.- the width of the open edge to meet said open edge adjacent the closed-side edge on the opposite side of the center line from the straightledge, the back Wall .having a similar cut-out positioned` reversely to that inthe iront wall, whereby the two lstraight edges are posi'- toned parallel to cach other 'and laterally. spaced apart a small distance on. opposite sides of said center line so that a record .may be inserted at its edge between said-.straight Yedges and then rotated toward theexposed cut-outs' until parallel with the envelope atv which. time itmay readily be pushed into the envelope.

2.. An envelope. adapted to receive a phonographic record and. the like, comprising, a fiat container having. front. and back Walls closed along three edges andopen along the fourth edge, one of said wallshaving a c'ut-outormed along its open edge,v said. cut-outfhaving at one end an abrupt inwardly extended edge positioned slightly beyond oneside of the longitudinal center line of the envelope. and extending laterally therefrom along, a line having a radius of curvature of at least half the Width of the open edge andjoining the open end edge nearaside edge of the envelope, the other wallA of the envelope hav.- ing a cut-out formedalong its open edge, said eut-out having at oneend.` an.4 abrupt inwardly extended edge positioned aslight distance on the opposite sideof the center.. line from said rst abrupt edge and extending laterally therefrom along a linerhavi'ng a` radius of curvature of at least half thewidth oftheopen edge and joining the open end, edgegnearthe other side edge of the envelopeLwlherebysaidslightly spaced apart first andsecond abruptedges form a notch into which an `edge Iopi-aL phonograph record -andfthe like may beinserted4 and turned .to contact the uncut edges ofthe open walls to open the envelope and be rnoveliL.-tljlerjeinto.`A

` EDWARD E. MODES.

RErAertsNoEs CITED FOREIGN PATENTS Country Datev Germany Mar. 22, 1922 Number 

